HOCKEY: In the Box with Brent & Craig
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Brent is back this week to join Craig to review this week in Oil country. All of a sudden we have a new number one goalie and he’s really good? Or is he after last night’s loss?
We’ll break it down this week – presented by Home “We promise we’re opening soon!” & Away YEG.
Nov 18
Oilers 2
Jets 1 (SO)
Craig Douglas
Revenge? Revenge. The Oil were out looking for payback after the Tuesday loss at the end of a long road trip. Back on home ice for the second half of a home-and-home mini series, could they show the Jets that they are the better team? Yes and no, but mostly yes.
Both teams came out of the gate looking to establish some sense of dominance and the game had noticeable playoff vibes as the two goalies made save after save, leaving the game scoreless as the second period wound down. Will this game come to mark the beginning of the Stuart Skinner era in the Edmonton net? The jury is still out on that exciting notion, but let’s just say he did a hell of a job in endearing the hometown fans to his brand of puck stopping. Skinner looked equal to his counterpart, Connor Hellebuyck – perhaps the best goalie in the league these days – as he stopped several dozen chances before one finally slipped by him with over fifty minutes gone by in the game. Ehlers got one up and in on the far side with a little over six minutes to play, and the Oil would be forced to play from behind with time running out. Or would they? Less than thirty seconds later, Connor “Your Hero” McDavid would slide a dagger past Hellebuyck and a W began to feel inevitable. But no so fast, as a 4 minute high sticking penalty to the very McDavid with only 44 seconds remaining in regulation would put the celebration on hold and cause Oiler fans to hold their breath and cross their fingers. In many ways, it still felt inevitable that they would somehow triumph over the Jets, and as the giant penalty wound down and the game headed to a ridiculous Bettman shootout, where we all kinda knew that Skinner would make the saves and two points would belong to us all. And win they did, but there was a large loss looming as Darnell Nurse, after playing over half of an hour in this match, would break his finger during the overtime period. Over half an hour of ice time? Fuck me, that’s a lot of ice to try to replace. Perhaps the beginning of the Broberg era, bro? In the next game, a Saturday night prime time clash with the stupid Blackhawks, we will find out.
Brent Oliver
It feels good to beat a team when we had every right not to.
We lost to them last game.
We have our 3rd string goalie starting.
We only scored one goal.
The best player in the world got a 4 minute penalty in overtime.
Our best D-man gets hurt
All those equal an understandable loss. But – not this fucking team. The Oilers as usual pulled a victory out of the jaws of defeat, or at least de-tie, to beat the Winnipeg Jets 2.0 in a Shootout – unfortunately giving the Manitobans 3 points for the last two games.
Can we talk about this loser point situation? I was at my brother’s house watching this with an English friend of his who enjoyed hockey, but didn’t really get all the rules. When I explained first that there was No Ties, and that if you were tied going into overtime you got a point his head nearly exploded. He said, just do it like soccer – 3 points for a win, 1 for a tie (or a loss in overtime), 0 for a loss. Yes that will upset the precious point system that the NHL has followed for years but who gives a shit. No one should be rewarded for losing.
Nov 20
Oilers 5
Chicago 2
Craig Douglas
The Chicago announcers were actively annoying and they did not show proper respect and deference to the mighty Connor & Leon but they did utter this gem during the first period: “Goal horn here in Edmonton, but a fart noise in Chicago as Yamamoto scores to make it three to nothing.” Fart noise in Chicago indeed.
The Oil came out flying and didn’t give the Hawks a chance to blink, even strength goal, power play goal, short handed goal, fart noise, and it was over before you knew it. This game was indeed the beginning of the Broberg era in Edmonton as 2019 first round pick (8th overall) Phillip Broberg would make his league debut and valiantly try to replace some of the many, many minutes that Darnell Nurse routinely chewed up on a nightly basis. It would be Keith and Ceci who would see the largest increases in ice time, but Broberg sure seemed like he belonged in the league as he came in and gobbled over fourteen minutes of ice time and even chipped in a primary assist on McLeod’s 4-0 goal. Speaking of goals, the Oil managed to break their nasty, shitty, horrible streak of consistently allowing the first goal of the game, and in fact they went bam, bam, bam, fucking bam and scored four on Chicago before the first period was even over. It was almost enough to make you feel bad for Kevin Lankinen – uhhhh… whoever that is. McDavid opened the scoring with the first of those bams and kept his season opening streak alive at 17(!) games, and then it was the power play, then a shortie, then McLeod, and after that it was over, Skinner had made a tidy 29 saves and earned himself the right to start another game and possibly even a chance at taking home the coveted Connor McDavid Player Of The Week Award.
Brent Oliver
Dominance on Hockey Night in Canada for the umpteenth straight week. This is certainly not the Oilers of old. McDavid must be getting plenty of rest in his new brutalist concrete nightmare of a house, lovingly designed by his girlfriend – because as usual, he proved why he’s the best player in the world and makes everyone else around him better. When he’s on (which is most of the time), we get to see a legend in his prime do what he does best – score goals, lead a team, and embarrass goalies I’ve never heard of. This next road trip should be interesting since Connor isn’t sleeping in his room on a concrete cube painted gun metal grey, but I guess life on the road has to be tough sometimes.
Nov 23
Stars 4
Oilers 1
Craig Douglas
What a dud. I did say I had a bad feeling about this one during last week’s round of Predicsh, and I should have heeded my own warning and watched literally anything else, or read a book, or made some damn butter tarts.
The Oil came out sloppy, took penalty after penalty, gave up the first motherfucking goal of the game again, lost a key player to injury, and continuously muffed any chance they had of getting back into the game. I won’t be blaming the refs for this one, as I felt most of the penalties they took were well deserved (although the fuckhead refs could have maybe given the Oil an opportunity or two?). I’ll also give a heap of credit to the thoroughly mediocre Stars team as they seemed to do a great job getting their sticks on the puck, maintaining possession, and blocking shots. It all seemed to simply stymie the Oilers and led to a growing sense of frustration which in turn led to more dumb mistakes and penalties. The Oil are lucky as fuck that they happen to have a game the very next night against a non NHL team that somehow counts for an identical two points in the NHL standings, so hopefully they can bounce right back and forget that the debacle in Dallas ever took place.
Brent Oliver
I’m with Craig on this one. The Oilers never got their legs under them on this one and it showed. Sloppy defensive zone coverage, zero offence, and the end of Connor’s 18 game point streak. Theories on why they sucked so hard include:
Going to the Cowboys game on Sunday
Hitting the strip club on Monday night
Realizing the Texas’ 6-week abortion ban is an assault on women’s rights
Looking up to the crowd and not seeing a single mask
At least they’ll be in and out of Phoenix with zero Texas like distractions.
The Connor McDavid Player Of The Week Award
Despite the loss in Dallas on Tuesday, the CMPOTWA is going to the Skinnster because he gave us all something to dream on concerning the future of the Oilers in the goaltending department. Here’s hoping he’s back in there on Saturday in Dirty Vegas.
Predicsh
11/24 – at Phoenix – The red hot (two game winning streak) Phoenix Coyotes are up next, and they still seem to be insisting that they’re an actual NHL franchise despite all the contrary evidence. This irrelevant, embarrassing, unending joke of a fake team will regret showing up to the rink once the Oil is done with them.
Final score: Oilers 6 Coyotes 1
11/27 at Las Vegas – The Oil hand this dumb expansion team another 5-3 loss, just like they did in October.
Final score: As mentioned, Oilers 5 Goldie Knights 3
Off to Phoenix/ Glendale/ Scottsdale/ Tempe (next year) tonight against the Coyotes who are trying to avoid Premier League style relegation to the AHL then the Oil head to Vegas where there are no distractions whatsoever. Guaranteed win night? Let’s bet the farm on it.
See you next week – In The Box.
